George Washington didn’t have wooden teeth!
Did you know that George Washington’s teeth were not made of wood? They were actually made of ivory from a hippopotamus. Take a peek at the first president’s famous choppers and find out more about his tooth troubles in a special presidential gallery at the National Museum of Dentistry.
“Many people are surprised to find out that George Washington never had wooden dentures,” said Museum Curator Dr. Scott Swank. “We think the myth arose since ivory dentures tend to stain like wood after years of eating and drinking.”
The National Museum of Dentistry features a gallery devoted to the first president and his tooth troubles. His dentures—made of ivory—are on display, as well as forceps made to pull his teeth on the Revolutionary War battlefield and examples of presidential portraits that show how tooth loss affected Washington’s appearance.
Washington lost his first tooth when he was 22 years old. Despite the fact that he brushed with tooth powder daily, he would have only one tooth in his mouth by the time he was inaugurated president in 1789. Washington had many illnesses during his life, including smallpox and malaria. Treatments included remedies such as mercurous chloride, which is known to destroy the teeth.
His favorite dentist, John Greenwood, would make several sets of dentures for George Washington during his lifetime—and none of them would be made from wood. In fact, they were carved from hippopotamus ivory and elephant ivory. Some of the dentures were set in gold and held in place with springs that held the upper and lower teeth together.
For more on George Washington’s not-so-wooden teeth, check out this article in the Baltimore Sun.
Or learn more about his tooth troubles here.
